Softball earns first bye in GSC tournament

The bases were loaded and everyone came home as the Blazers beat Delta State 9-3. As an added bonus, West Georgia fell to Shorter 1-0, allowing the Blazers to jump into second place and earn a first-round bye heading into the Gulf South Conference Tournament this week in Florence, Alabama.

With the victory, the Blazers finished the regular season 38-10-2 and 22-9-1 in the GSC. The game consisted of 13 hits and 11 runs scored by the Blazers while allowing just five hits and three runs in the process.

Caitlyn Calhoun offered another great performance with five strikeouts and one walk over seven innings of play. The win boosted her record to 26-4 on the year, earning her a Player of The Week for the sixth time this season. Her 2016 performance resulted in -GSC Pitcher of The Year honors.

Danielle Patterson, Taylor Hartenbach, and Kiley Rusen each contributed to the onslaught of terror that the Blazers placed on Delta State with multiple hits between each of them. Heather Robinson put the icing on the cake after she homered for the 12th time this season in the fourth inning to net three RBI’s. Brandy Morgan and Kelly Gordon also homered in the first and last inning. Morgan’s homerun accounted for her tenth of the season as just a sophomore.

The Blazers have positioned themselves for a good run at the GSC championship. The tournament will start on April 28, in Florence, Alabama, at the site of the top-ranked North Alabama (46-5, 30-3 GSC). It will only feature the top six teams out of the conference and the Blazers will play the winner of Shorter and West Florida.

Ticket prices will be $8.00 for adults, $5 for children 6-17, $5 for students with a student I.D., and FREE for children five and under. Tournament passes are available for purchase at $20.